Montenegro's Ministers Resign

DANILO BURZAN

Published 9:00 pm, Tuesday, April 9, 2002

Associated Press Writer

Montenegro's government faced collapse Wednesday after four of its pro-independence ministers resigned to protest an accord that formally does away with Yugoslavia but keeps the republic in a loose union with Serbia.

The four _ including Foreign Minister Branko Lukovac _ are linked to the Social Democratic Party, the former coalition partner of President Milo Djukanovic in the government.

Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica and Djukanovic signed an accord last month that radically restructures Yugoslavia under the new name _ Serbia and Montenegro. Both republics would gain greater autonomy.

Parliaments in both Serbia and Montenegro on Tuesday endorsed the European Union-backed agreement. The separate Yugoslav parliament still needs to approve the accord, and the legislatures have to adopt the country's new constitution by June.

The agreement allows the republics to vote on full independence in three years. Still, proponents of independence for Montenegro _ the smaller republic that has long been dominated by Serbia _ were angered by the deal.

The four ministers who resigned Wednesday also include Deputy Prime Minister Zarko Rakcevic; Dragisa Burzan, the labor minister, and Transport Minister Jusuf Kalomperovic.

"The agreement has repercussions for Montenegro because it puts into question its independence," Rakcevic said, announcing the resignations.

With pro-independence deputies now part of the opposition, Prime Minister Filip Vujanovic is unlikely to find the majority needed to approve replacements for the four. That, in turn, could lead to early parliamentary elections.

"The rump government can function for only a couple of weeks," Rakcevic said.

Under the EU-negotiated accord, Serbia and Montenegro will share defense and foreign policies and a seat at the United Nations but will maintain separate economies, currencies and customs services.

Yugoslavia once included four other republics; Bosnia, Croatia, Slovenia and Macedonia. But they broke away _ most of them violently _ under then-President Slobodan Milosevic in the 1990s.